What would you choose to become.

Davey Vengeance wrote:Thats what I thought, i assumed that all those years ago a womans place would not have been on the battle field.

Women took care of the homes and raised the children. Men protected the homes and trained the children. Pretty basic outline.

With that said, I'd rather be a samurai than a ninja. Putting aside prefered styles of killing people, samurai could change the world, ninja could not. That is, unless ninjas killed someone who could change the world they couldn't. Samurai were respected military, political, and many time religious leaders. I've always respected political power, and I've always have a drive to do things to make the world a better place, or one that treats people better. Since I couldn't change Japan as a ninja, I'd rather be a samurai.

As far as what kind of samurai, I had a post about this in Koei's message boards; "If you were a warrior what would you look like and be?"

I would be 6', with black hair tied into an elaborate design. My armor would be angular in fashion (in hopes of deflecting stray arrows), and made to complement riding a horse. It would have my personal banner riding from a flagpole on my left shoulder. My weapon would be a katana.

If I had things my way, I'd serve as a lieutenant to Akechi Mitsuhide, and assist in his revolt and final battles, with hopes of fighting off Hashiba Hideyoshi.

In all reality, I'd probably be killed in my first engagement. As a thinker, I can break down a situation and make a decision that, more often than not, turns out effective, if not the best option I could find. As a fighter, I'm more about the first impact and dominating one's opponent than having the stamina to make many small hits in one fight. Because of this, I'm very effective against a single opponent. While I'm able to hold off 4 or 5 people at once, I am hardly a one man army, and can't possibly DEFEAT 4 or 5 people. As I said, I can only hold them off, or stall them.

This would also, in my mind, make my ideal place in an army as both a tactician and the shock troops of the army. My strategies could cause the enemy to lose heart and cause their formations to falter, and my heavily armored unit of cavalry could punch a hole into the enemy when that happens. I'd also be much more suited for single engagements, rather than a larger campaign. I am no Otani Yoshitsugu, and would not have the confidence to face overwhelming odds on even ground.

"Because he has died, there is no more room for death in him." -- Lao Tzu

Sorry I'm just not feeling the death on the battlefield for glory belief. I don't want to be anyone's vassal unless I know that he or she is a worthy man to serve. Plus who says you can't be both. I'll be a noble samurai in the morning and a deathly assasin at night.

They miss the whisper that runs any day in your mind,
"Who are you really, wanderer?" and the answer you have to give
no matter how dark and cold the world around you is:
"Maybe I'm a king. -William Stafford

2. There was never found a single STRAIGHT ninja sword. Yes, they were short but it was Hollywood and "modern ninjas" who made them straight. The are only two museums in Japan that are historically accurate (the museum of Ninjutsu in Iga Ueno and ninja-yasiki in Konan) and there are NO STRAIGHT SWORDS there. Not a single one. The straight sword is just another popular myth.

Exactly I never understood why people believe ninja's had straight swords.Why would you walk arround with an object that says HEY LOOK AT ME I ARE 1337 NINJORZ.

I never have a problem with taking a test. Its the 10 minutes before you enter the room that get to me you hear people talking about crap you have never heard about in your life.

Omega52 wrote:A samurai, because they were an actual class of people. Ninja were just mercenaries looking for some extra cash!

True..true, Samurai just sounds better too.

“There are five possible operations in war: if you can fight, fight; if you cannot fight, defend; if you cannot defend, flee; if you cannot flee, surrender; if you cannot surrender, die!"
~ By the Famous Sima Yi

urbanterrorist wrote:Sorry I'm just not feeling the death on the battlefield for glory belief. I don't want to be anyone's vassal unless I know that he or she is a worthy man to serve. Plus who says you can't be both. I'll be a noble samurai in the morning and a deathly assasin at night.

You couldn't. The code of Bushido would not allow for the underhanded and dishonorable tactics often used by the ninja. And most ninja clans were under the service of lord's so either way you'd serve or be considered ronin, which is a dishonor.

"Never argue with an idiot. They'll just bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.""Censorship is a tool for the closed-minded and insecure."